Volusia Tax Reform was formed in July, 2006 by a diverse group of citizens wanting to address soaring  property taxes in Volusia County that threaten jobs and the overall  economy.

VOLUSIA TAX REFORM AND THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF VOLUSIA COUNTY ARE HOSTING JOINT TOWN HALL TO DISCUSS THE PRO'S AND CON'S OF THE $100,000,000.00 PROPERTY TAX INCREASE

VTR'S PANEL MEMBERS:

Margie Patchett, Executive Director

G.G. Galloway, Past President of Daytona Beach Board of Realtors and Commercial Real Estate Broker

Maureen France, Co-Founder of Volusia Tax Reform

AND

SCHOOL BOARD PANEL MEMBERS

Candace Langford, School Board Member

Stan Schmidt, School Board Member

MODERATOR

STEVE KOENIG

CHAIRMAN OF BELLAIRE COMMUNITY GROUP

WHERE: Schnebly Center, 1101 N. Atlantic Ave. Daytona Beach, FL,32118 TIME: 6:30 P.M. TO 7:30 P.M.

PLEASE EMAIL US YOUR QUESTIONS TO ASK THE PANEL MEMBERS

Joint town hall meeting co-sponsored by the Bellaire Community Group and the Daytona Beach Area Association of Realtors regarding the  issue of a one mil school tax that will be on the ballot on November 6^th.  Representatives from the Volusia County School Board and representatives from Volusia Tax Reform will answer questions from moderator Steve Koenig, Chairman of the Bellaire Community Group and President-elect of the Daytona Beach Area Association of Realtors.

Contact Info- For any additional information please contact Steve Koenig at 386-795-0023.

WE DON’T NEED MORE MONEY FOR EDUCATION

WE NEED MORE EDUCATION FOR THE MONEY!

Have you heard the news?  Volusia County School District proposes to raise TAXES by $100,000,000.00! Yes, that’s right--$100,000,000.00! At a time when our local economy has been devastated, businesses are closing, virtual loss of construction industry and foreclosures in every neighborhood; the school district wants more money! Now there€’s a group that is out-of-touch with reality. Consider this:

*Volusia school enrollment has declined over the past 6 years

*The cost to educate one student per year has grown to over $9,600.00

*Our school district has decided to ignore the Class Size Amendment passed TWICE by voters, instead pays the fine for having more than 22 students per class.

*Over 70% of TAX dollars in the school district budget are being spent OUTSIDE the classroom.

*Our school district took federal stimulus funds as a life preserver; now those funds are gone and they need more money. What will happen in four years when this TAX increase period expires?

Compare the cost of our District with that of neighboring Seminole County, which is an A Rated District, while Volusia is a C€� Rated District:

VOLUSIA SPENT:

*$9.6 million MORE on curriculum development;

* $8.9 million MORE on administration;

*$5 million MORE on Central Services;

*$10.5 million MORE on Administrative technology, plant operation and plant maintenance.

Over 5,000 businesses have not renewed their occupational licenses! How does this massive TAX increase impact parents of the children who may lose their businesses/homes?

These challenging times require we think differently.

WE NEED:

*Innovation!  *Leaders!  *People who put children above politics!

*Citizens to attend school board meetings to monitor the

BIGGEST BUSINESS IN OUR COUNTY!

Volusia Tax Reform has done its€ homework. We believe reform must come to all areas of government, especially education. More funding is not the answer. Our position is not an attack on teachers and those in the classroom-quite the contrary. We think more of our current TAX dollars should go to teachers, classrooms and cut bloated administration.

VOTE ON NOVEMBER 6^TH

Paid for and Approved By Volusia Tax Reform, PAC

Volusia School Board proposing $100,000,000 TAX!
by Margie Patchett

Volusia Tax Reform Executive Director speaks to a group in DeLand on the proposed 1 mil property TAX increase by the Volusia County School Board that will raise TAXES by $100,000,000 over the next 4 years. Volusia County is already devastated by unemployment, foreclosures and having the second highest Tax Rate in Florida. Volusia County does NOT need another property tax increase. The millage is KILLING the village!

On June 12, 2012, Volusia Tax Reform asked candidates for County Council   to be interviewed on camera so they could reply to issues facing  today’s voters.

Volusia Tax Reform has posted these  interviews on their YOUTUBE channel.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLNE5s4tcGY&feature=channel&list=UL

These interviews are for  informational purposes only. They will help provide voters with a  way  of acquiring information on the candidates that appear on the  upcoming  ballots. None of these videos are endorsements of the  candidates.

DIstrict 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNVrshS5wfQ

County Chair - part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLNE5s4tcGY&feature=channel&list=UL

County Chair - part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_qW5Xx8_JY&feature=relmfu

County Chair - part 3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uB1LPikqVlI&feature=relmfu

District 2 Candidates
http://youtu.be/8v8cYMVK4l4

District 3 Candidates
http://youtu.be/P18J6SbBMJw

District 4 Candidates part 1
http://youtu.be/fhYFRCDXCbo

District 4 Candidates part 2
http://youtu.be/2IXCkxvNU3A

District 5 Candidates
http://youtu.be/BVFSDywgYTE

____________________________________________________

Volusia Tax Reform Successes -

• We collected thousands of signatures on a petition to the County of Volusia that requested they vote  to go to the rollback rate in 2006
• We rallied 600+ people to attend the  Volusia County Budget Hearing in September, 2006 and insisted  they go to rollback, which they voted to do, saving the taxpayers of Volusia County $34 million!
• We rallied people to attend Daytona Beach City Commission budget hearings which resulted in millions of  dollars in savings
• We have attended countless governmental meetings to monitor what is  going on inside our government.
• We have sponsored & attended numerous rallies and town hall meetings attracting thousands of citizens to these events and our web site.
• We have helped other grassroots citizen organizations get started around the state
• We have served as a clearinghouse for people around the country to  contact us about how the tax increases have affected them if they are a property owner in Volusia County . We have heard hundreds and hundreds of terrible stories of people losing their homes and businesses and future retirement homes.
• We have met with citizens and even government employees that have  advised us of government waste.
• WE HAVE THE  ENTIRE STATE INVOLVED IN TAX REFORM AND WE HAVE LEAD THE WAY IN THE  BIGGEST TAX OVERHAUL IN FLORIDA'S HISTORY
• We have taken 2 bus trips to Tallahassee to lobby our legislators and sent others to meetings on our behalf  in Tallahassee.
• We have monitored the progress of the legislature on tax reform bills daily, throughout the session.
• We have helped start a statewide organization of local grassroots groups: Floridians for Property Tax Reform that has taken their  lead from VTR. Their mission mirrors ours
• We have a member of our Executive Board that is serving as the co-chair of FPTR with Jose Consuela of Miami and others of us that are in leadership advisory roles with FPTR
• We have helped organize a statewide rally of nearly 800 citizens on 17 buses to go to Tallahassee and  ask our legislature to act. Speaker Marco Rubio and Gov.Crist spoke at these rallies.
• We have worked with local officials including our Property Appraiser Morgan Gilreath to discuss ideas that would be beneficial for all.
• We have been the speaker at numerous community organizations and served on panel discussions about tax forum.
• We have served as a regular source for local media on tax reform and  have appeared on TV news shows and in numerous news articles and radio programs
• We have initiated public records requests to learn more about where governments are spending their revenues
• We sponsored  a business round table discussion where Speaker Marco Rubio came and  spoke to Volusia County Businessmen and women about tax reform
• We have set up a Government Waste Hotline(386) 236-2604 to gather information from citizens (and even government employees) to advise us of cases of waste, fraud or abuse that they  have seen.
  
  Please Join Us in continuing our success for the future of our cities, counties and state.
  
  Donate to invest and help us reach our goals of comprehensive tax reform, responsible spending and oversight and accountability of our tax dollars.

Click here to download the Power Point presentation

You MUST see it to believe it....

DID YOU KNOW CITIZENS ARE CONCERNED WE COULD BE THE NEXT CALIFORNIA

DID YOU KNOW WE ALREADY ARE THE NEXT CALIFORNIA

DID YOU KNOW THAT VOLUSIA TAX REFORM IS CONCERNED ABOUT US BEING THE NEXT DETROIT OR PITTSBURGH...

SEE JUST HOW IN DEBT WE ARE IN VOLUSIA COUNTY...

Click here to download a Power Point presentation that Everyone in Volusia County must see. Then tell your family and friends. Be prepared to get sick to your stomach.

Our Mission Statement has been and continues to be true, meaningful and comprehensive tax reform accomplished by:

Reducing real estate taxes through capping government spending;

Overseeing and monitoring our taxing authorities so they are held accountable to fiscal spending of our tax dollars

Our Executive Board is made up of a group of professional business leaders in Volusia County.  We meet  regularly to discuss strategy, legislative actions, and to formulate  ideas to help in bringing about reform and accountability. We issue regular e-mail alerts and press releases about our actions.

 We have subcommittees that are active including :
 - Research  Committees looking in-depth at proposals made by local and state leaders and researching other plans that have been tried elsewhere around the country .
 - Budget Review Committees for each our local governments

 Join us as a volunteer to help us accomplish our mission.

Volusia Tax Reform Executive Board
Executive Director -
Margie Patchett 

Members -
Maureen France
Douglas Kosarek
Stuart Patchett
Tom Blawn
Ed Connor
Steve Koenig
Marvin Miller
Dick Pollard

Click Here to download the power point presentation about the Volusia Forever program in our county with your tax dollars “Hard at Work”.
Be prepared to be outraged!

DID YOU KNOW:

THROUGH THE FLORIDA FOREVER PROGRAM, THE CITIES AND COUNTIES ARE USING YOUR TAX DOLLARS TO PURCHASE CONSERVATION PROPERTY?

DID YOU KNOW:

THAT PROPERTY WHICH HAD BEEN ASSESSED BY THE PROPERTY APPRAISER FOR THE PAST 20 YEARS FOR $77,500.00 WAS PURCHASED BY THE COUNTY OF VOLUSIA FOR $1.5 MILLION DOLLARS?

DID YOU KNOW:

THE CITIES AND COUNTIES ARE PURCHASING EASEMENTS FROM 4 TO 6 MILLION DOLLARS OF YOUR TAX DOLLARS?

WATCH THE INVESTIGATIVE REPORT AS SEEN ON CHANNEL 9 NEWS:

http://www.wftv.com/video/22584811

Click Here for the rest of this Story.

To save our communities and state, act now!
 
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Attend council meetings, run for office...if not you, then who?... if not now, then when?